Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

MIRIAM

1. Individuals, as well as nations, influence families and nations:
   1. Jochebed brought into the world Moses, she protected and trained him for the nation Israel - Ex. 6:20
   2. Esther became the queen of Medo-Persia to save her race from being destroyed - Esther - 4:14-16
2. Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, played a large part in the infancy of the Jewish nation:
   1. She inspired the women of Israel to sing praises to the God of Israel for the great deliverance He had given to them
   2. Her role in the wilderness travel of Israel became checkered

1. The first has the River Nile for a background:
   1. We see her baby sitting - watching over her little brother in a little cradle boat among the long reeds of the Nile - Ex. 2:1-8
   2. She was a girl of about fifteen years old, sensible and self-possessed
   3. All the world knows that she had a part in the preservation of the life of Moses, one of the world's greatest law-givers
   4. Miriam said nothing about her own relation to the little boy, lest the princess might become suspicious of a planned scheme to foil Pharaoh's law
2. The next scene in which Miriam plays a part is a very different one:
   1. Egypt had vanished and another world had dawned upon her race
   2. Miriam, evidently gifted, inspired her people to sing and dance to the glory of their mighty Deliverer
   3. We cannot enter into the poem to analyze its message of inspiration- "Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea"
3. In the third scene in which Miriam appeared she played a less noble part:
   1. Israel had passed from the Nile River; they had passed from the Red Sea; they had come into the heart of the wilderness
   2. That wilderness experience had severely tried the faith of the leaders, including Miriam's
   3. It was during those dark days, that she and her brother, Aaron, become dissatisfied with the leadership of their brother Moses
   4. They found fault with him marrying a woman from the land of Ethiopia - Num. 12:1; Ex. 2:21
   5. But behind it all was the spirit of jealousy; she felt that she was excluded from counsels of the nation
   6. She wins Aaron to her side and the two murmured against Moses
   7. God corrected her, and Moses had to plead for her life - Num. 12:9-15

1. Jochebed must have been especially gifted to bring up her children in the fear of the Lord and train them for the service of God:
   1. At fifteen Miriam assumed special responsibilities to care for her little brother; that was a great risk for her mother and for Miriam
   2. Miriam had duty come before play
   3. She handled the placing of Moses with great skill
2. Miriam portrayed great talent and faith in God:
   1. She was a prophetess
   2. She was a born leader
3. But she became critical toward her brother at a time when he needed her encouragement:
   1. That cast a shadow over her useful life
   2. God corrected her, and Moses had to make special intercession for her
4. The special lesson for us today:
   1. Home training forms the background to a useful life
   2. Faith in God is the foundation to greatness